This is Rincon waiting for me to throw the ball. He is named after one of the Mountain ranges that borders the city of Tucson, AZ. The RinconMts. are the eastern edge of the city and are not quite as well known as the Catalina Mts which defines the north-eastern edge of Tucson. These two Mt. ranges are separated by Reddington Pass, but many visitors to the city see them as one mountain range.

Rincon got his name because his father's name is Dundee Arizona and his mother is Acadia Sweet Necessity, RN, HT. Mike and I lived in Arizona for 8 years and enjoyed our time there, and enjoyed hiking in both the Rincons and the Catalinas. Both Rincon's call name and AKC registered name reflect the feelings of our time in Arizona.

Belle (pictured on the right) is now looking for her "forever" home. She is Acadia Sweet Necessity, HT, RN. Belle is 4 years old and very dependable. She is the daughter of Show Low and Valerie- (U-Ch. Linden Acadia Stacked Deck, CDX, HI x Acadia Sweet Emotion, AXJ, OA, PT). Belle is tri-factored, not debarked, housetrained, leash trained, loves attention and has a very steady temperment. I am sure that she will fit into most families. A fenced yard is not a must with Belle, but I always prefer homes with fenced yards.

Fate (pictured on the left) is 7 months old. Ideally I would like a home that will not spay her right away. I was keeping her as a show prospect. She was a lovely puppy with a pedigree that means a LOT to me (Ch. Daval Mind Twister x Ch. Acadia It's My Treat). She is about 13 3/4 inches and is going to be slow to mature. She is so out-going, so loving, and so full of energy that I have decided she would be best in a home that would train her, love her, maybe compete with her in agility, rally, obedience- or whatever else interests her new owner. She is both toy and food motivated. She travels well and likes to be engaged. I am interested in keeping open the option of a litter.

I am very concerned about the laws that are being proposed around the country. All of my life I have wanted to live with dogs, show dogs, love dogs, and yes- breed dogs. I don't think it is a crime. I am not a hoarderof dogs, and I want all Acadia dogs to be loved and spoiled. People like me have to face tough choices such as, do I keep this adult dog, or look for a loving home. Many people tell me they couldn't make that decision. I respect that and understand that breeding dogs is not for everyone.

If this is your first time visiting my blog, I hope my love of dogs speaks loud and clear. If you are one of those who checks in from time to time, then you too love dogs (at least shelties). I urge you to join in the effort to prevent unreasonable dog laws from being passed around the country.

Jean sent me this picture of "Jazz" who is now 6 months old. He is looking great! Jean reports that he is spoiled- but to me the only way to spoil a dog (or a person) is to give no guidance or training. You can never love too much! I know that Jean is training Jazz, so he can't be TOO spoiled.

Jazz is sired by Acadia On My Mind (Canyon) out of Ruby Heart Aberdale Nuevella (Sparkle). He is a littermate to Acadia Christmas Eve.

Saturday, July 5th, Chip was winners Dog, Best of Winners for 2 more points. This gives him a total of 9 "minor" points. To complete an AKC championship a dog must win 15 (total) points, 2 majors. The number of points a dog can win at a show are determined by the number of dogs the dog defeats. The AKC calculates different factors (such as number of dogs in that breed that competed the year before, number of dogs in that breed registered, etc.) and then determines a "point scale" for each breed. This scale changes every year.

The maxium number of points offered at any show is 5. Winning between 3 and 5 points is called a "major". A dog must win 2 "majors" under 2 different judges. So, a minimum of 6 points must come in the form of "major" wins, and the remaining 9 points can be "minor" (1-2 point) wins.

Chip will now just be competing in shows where the entry is large enough for a major. Unfortunately, these are not "scheduled". Occasionally show people will call each other to find out who is going to enter at a show to determine if that show will in fact have an entry large enough for a "major", but usually people enter the dog at shows they want to go to, and under judges they think will like the dog they are showing, and hope for majors.

The best scenario is to win the 2 majors early, and then they are out of the way and there is no wasted entry fees. It is not considered sportsmanlike to show a dog in a "minor" show if it has all of it's "minor" points. That means that you pay the entry, and if it is not a major, you are out the entry fee. Oh well. We are keeping our fingers crossed that not only will the entries increase at the next set of shows, but that Chip wins them! That is the next neccessary step!

In additon to the funny things Luann had to say about her girls, she also said this, " As much as Eve is a wonderful breath of fresh air...Lizzy has been unbelievable! I totally adore Lizzy. She will do anything for me. We're still doing clicker training and our regular trainer went away for dog shows so we had somebody come in and teach us introductory dog dancing. Lizzy (of course) was the STAR of the class!!! She's my girl and she knows it! She'll do anything for me! She is a magical dog. She even makes me look good!Cadie, thanks for encouraging people to go further on behalf of the shelties we love!!!Did I tell you how much my I love my girl...she's the best! "

As I have said before, when you train your dogs, you can truely make them your "best friends". That is what I want for all Acadia Shelties! Thanks.

Today I got this funny email from Luann.... and I must say, it got me thinking, why not?

"We want to try out for the sled dog team!!!These girls are still kicking my butt. We walk once if not twice a day and my shins are sore! I have to walk full speed to be sure Lizzy is trotting any faster (light jog)and Eve breaks gait. It takes me 30 minutes of movement to wear them out to a comfortable walking pace for ME!!! These girls have guts. Therefore, we're ready to head up the next sled dog team. "

So what would a sheltie sled team look like? (Helen- got a sled? Let's try this out)

We all know what is going to happen this Friday (and maybe Thursday and Saturday too). People are going to celebrate a birthday with lots of explosions and loud noises. Just the sort of thing that terrorizes many pets. Many shelties are noise sensitive as it is, and even those who are not, may find this sort of celebration too much to handle. This holiday is not like any others and should be treated with care.

What NOT to do!1. Don't bring your dog to a public fireworks display.While dogs love to do things with their owners, this is one they would generally say "no thank you" to if you were able to ask them. The crowds of people, the noise, the confusion that we find a "celebration" they often find very stressful.

2. Don't leave them outside- even if you have a fenced yard. MANY dogs become so stressed out that they jump a fence, dig under a fence, or just have hours of anxiety while you are gone.

What you SHOULD do!1. Leave them at Home in a secure Crate. Even if you don't leave a dog in a crate normally while you are away, this is the time to do so. They will be safe, and you will come home and not experience the horror of a missing dog or a wrecked house.

2. Turn on some sort of noise to help even out the explosions that will occur outside. Leaving a fan, air conditioner, a white noise machine, a TV show or music will help.

3. Just for this weekend, put a collar with id tags on the dog. If anything should happen, at least if someone finds the dog they will be able to return them.

4. Follow these tips even if you don't think your dog will be stressed out. Just because he is not afraid of thunder, does not mean he will handle the 4th of July with ease. If you are not home, you might not know how he reacts. Putting on a collar with tags and putting him in a crate could save a lot of heart ache later.